Fourth approximation guide



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PEATLAND CANEBRAKE G1

TNC Name: Arundinaria gigantea var. tecta Shrubland (3843).


Concept: Treeless or sparsely treed vegetation dominated by Arundinaria gigantea var. tecta (less than 25% tree cover).
Distinguishing Features: Peatland Canebrakes are distinguished from all other communities by the dominance of Arundinaria gigantea var. tecta combined with tree cover less than 10%. Examples with more trees are included in the Canebrake Subtype of Pond Pine Woodland.
Comments: These communities once covered large expanses of peatlands, where they were dependent on fairly frequent fire. With a more natural fire regime, they could be expected to exist in a shifting mosaic with other peatland communities, but would persist indefinitely in areas where fires were frequent enough. No extant examples are known to remain. Where the sites were not destroyed, the Peatland Canebrakes have apparently succeeded to Pond Pine Woodland or possibly Nonriverine Swamp Forest. The Canebrake Subtype of Pond Pine Woodland may represent either a mid-successional stage of this process or a community that would persist under a slightly less frequent fire regime. Peatland Canebrakes could probably be restored by increasing fire frequency in remnants of Pond Pine Woodland with Arundinaria.
ESTUARINE FRINGE PINE FOREST (POND PINE SUBTYPE) G2?

See below.


PEATLAND ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR FOREST G2

TNC Name: Chamaecyparis thyoides/Nyssa biflora-Persea palustris/Lyonia lucida Woodland (6146).


Concept: Covers forests dominated by Chamaecyparis thyoides in peatland, Carolina bay, and high river terrace environments.
Distinguishing Features: Peatland Atlantic White Cedar Forest is distinguished from Steamhead Atlantic White Cedar Forest by occurrence on flats or in shallow depressions fed by sheet flow and rain water, in contrast to seepage-fed drainages in sandhill terrain. There is normally a difference in associated plants, with Liriodendron tulipifera in particular usually present only in streamheads.
Comments: Peatland Atlantic White Cedar Forests usually contain a minority of other tree species, and variants can be recognized based on them. The primary variation is from associated species characteristic of Nonriverine Swamp Forest (Nyssa biflora, Acer rubrum, Pinus taeda, Taxodium distichum) to those characteristic of Pond Pine Woodland (Pinus serotina, Gordonia lasianthus). These differences are not strong, and some examples have both sets of associated trees.

BAY FOREST G4

TNC Name: Gordonia lasianthus-Magnolia virginiana-Persea palustris/Sphagnum spp. Forest (7044).


Concept: Covers natural peatland forests and woodlands dominated by Gordonia lasianthus, alone or in combination with other evergreen hardwoods.
Distinguishing Features: Bay Forest is distinguished from Pond Pine Woodland, Peatland Atlantic White Cedar Forest, High Pocosin, and other pocosin communities by canopy dominance of Gordonia lasianthus alone or in combination with Magnolia virginiana or Persea palustris. Minority amounts of species from other peatland communities may be present. Secondary Red Bay Forest Phase is dominated by Persea palustris, alone or in combination with Magnolia virginiana. It is believed to result from removal of the canopy from a Peatland Atlantic White Cedar Forest, Nonriverine Swamp Forest, or Pond Pine Woodland. Gordonia lasianthus is not a significant tree of these communities.

STREAMHEAD POCOSIN G?

TNC Name: Pinus serotina-(Liriodendron tulipifera)/Lyonia lucida-Clethra alnifolia-Ilex glabra Woodland (4435).


Concept: Type covers pocosin vegetation in mucky, seepage-fed drainages in sandhill terrain.
Distinguishing Features: Streamhead Pocosins are distinguished from other pocosin communities by their occurrence in drainages in sandhill terrain, with flowing or seepage water, rather than on peat domes or in depressions fed mainly by rain water. Liriodendron tulipifera is often, but not always, a component of this type and is never present in other pocosin types. Clethra alnifola and Toxicodendron vernix are often present in this type and seldom present in other types of pocosins. Streamhead Pocosins are distinguished from Streamhead Atlantic White Cedar Forest and Sandhill Streamhead Swamp by canopy predominance of Pinus serotina.

STREAMHEAD ATLANTIC WHITE CEDAR FOREST G2

TNC Name: Chamaecyparis thyoides-Liriodendron tulipifera/Lyonia lucida Forest (7563).


Concept: Type covers white cedar forest in mucky, seepage-fed drainages in sandhill terrain.
Distinguishing Features: Streamhead Atlantic White Cedar Forests are distinguished from Streamhead Pocosin and Sandhill Streamhead Swamp by having canopies with over 50% Chamaecyparis thyoides cover. They are distinguished from Peatland Atlantic White Cedar Forests by occurring in mucky, seepage fed drainages in sandhill terrain. Liriodendron tulipifera is often, but not always, present.

SMALL DEPRESSION POCOSIN G2G3

TNC Name: Pinus serotina/Cyrilla racemiflora-Lyonia lucida-Vaccinium fuscatum Woodland (4434)..


Concept: Type covers pocosins of small basin wetlands, less than 10 acres in size, where edge effects are highly significant and composition is generally more varied and diverse than other pocosins.
Distinguishing Features: Small Depression Pocosins are distinguished from upland and flatwoods communities by their dense tall shrubby vegetation (or sprouts of tall shrubs after fire). Small Depression Pocosins grade conceptually into Pond Pine Woodlands and High Pocosins in swales. Areas should be classified as Small Depression Pocosin if they occur in depressions that are less than 10 acres in size and are well isolated from other pocosin communities. They often have a more varied composition than Pond Pine Woodlands or High Pocosins.


Wet frequently burned pine savannas

PINE SAVANNA AND WET PINE FLATWOODS EQUIVALENTS

VERY WET SANDY PINE SAVANNA (TYPIC SUBTYPE) G3

Synonyms: Pine Savanna (Wet Spodosol Variant); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Ctenium aromaticum-Muhlenbergia expansa-Carphephorus odoratissimus Woodland (3658).


Concept: Type covers longleaf pine or pond pine savannas on the wettest sandy soils, typically moderate in species richness. Subtype covers the typical examples of the Coastal Plain, in which Pleea tenuifolia is not codominant.
Distinguishing Features: Very Wet Sandy Pine Savannas are distinguished from Very Wet Loamy Pine Savannas by the soil texture and the absence of species dependent on finer-textured soils, such as ..... Very Wet Sandy Pine Savannas are distinguished from Wet Sandy Pine Savannas by the significant presence of very wet site flora, such as Ctenium aromaticum, Muhlenbergia expansa, Dionaea muscipula, and Sarracenia flava. The Typic Subtype is distinguished from the Pleea Subtype by lacking abundant Pleea tenuifolia (though the species sometimes is present).

VERY WET SANDY PINE SAVANNA (PLEEA VARIANT) G1

Synonyms: Pine Savanna (Pleea Flat Variant); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Pleea tenuifolia-Aristida stricta (3661).


Concept: Type covers longleaf pine or pond pine savannas on the wettest sandy soils, typically moderate in species richness. Subtype covers the examples in the southern outer Coastal Plain, in which Pleea tenuifolia is codominant or abundant. Examples are known only from Brunswick and Pender counties. The Pleea plants form tall hummocks which give the ground much more relief than in other savannas. Unlike other very wet savannas, this subtype is not high in herb species richness.
Distinguishing Features: The Pleea variant is distinguished by the dominance of Pleea tenuifolia in the herb layer.


VERY WET LOAMY PINE SAVANNA G1

Synonyms: Pine Savanna (Very Wet Clay Variant); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Magnolia virginiana/Sporobolus teretifolius-Carex striata Woodland (4500); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Sporobolus pinetorum-Ctenium aromaticum-Eriocaulon decangulare var. decangulare Woodland (4502).


Concept: Type covers longleaf pine or pond pine savannas on the wettest loamy to clayey soils, often with an apparent calcareous influence, typically very high in species richness.
Distinguishing Features:
WET SANDY PINE SAVANNA (TYPIC SUBTYPE) G3

Synonyms: Wet Pine Flatwoods (Wet Spodosol Variant); Pinus palustris/Ilex glabra/Aristida stricta Woodland (3648).


Concept: Type covers wet to possibly mesic longleaf pine or pond pine savannas on coarse sandy Spodosols, less wet than the Very Wet Sandy Pine Savanna type, typically low in species richness. Subtype covers the common examples of the Coastal Plain in which Leiophyllum buxifolium is not a major component.
Distinguishing Features: Wet Sandy Pine Savannas are distinguished from both Very Wet Sandy Pine Savannas and Wet Loamy Pine Savannas by the absence of plant species typical of richer or wetter sites, such as Ctenium aromaticum, Muhlenbergia expanse, Sarracenia flava, and Dionaea muscipula. The Typic Subtype is distinguished by the absence or scarcity of Leiophyllum buxifolium.
WET SANDY PINE SAVANNA (SAND MYRTLE SUBTYPE) G2?

Synonyms: Wet Pine Flatwoods (Leiophyllum Variant); Pinus palustris/Leiophyllum buxifolium/Aristida strica Woodland (3649).


Concept: Type covers wet to possibly mesic longleaf pine or pond pine savannas on coarse sandy Spodosols, less wet than the Very Wet Sandy Pine Savanna type, typically low in species richness. Subtype covers the rare examples of the Coastal Plain in which Leiophyllum buxifolium is a major component.
Distinguishing Features: Wet Sandy Pine Savannas are distinguished from both Very Wet Sandy Pine Savannas and Wet Loamy Pine Savannas by the absence of plant species typical of richer or wetter sites, such as Ctenium aromaticum, Muhlenbergia expansa, Sarracenia flava, and Dionaea muscipula. The Leiophyllum Subtype is readily distinguished by the presence of significant numbers of Leiophyllum buxifolium.
WET SANDY PINE SAVANNA (DEPRESSION SUBTYPE) G1G2Q

Synonyms: Hypericum reductum/Aristida stricta Dwarf-shrubland (3954).


Concept: Subtype covers small limesink depression and swales in dry sandhills, where Aristida stricta and Hypericum reductum dominate. Trees are absent in the few known examples, but Pinus palustris might potentially be present.
Distinguishing Features: The depression subtype is distinguished by occurrence in small, relatively steep-sided closed basins, in combination with the dominance of Hypericum reductum and Aristida stricta. Local areas in the Typic Subtype may be dominated by these species, but generally trees and other shrubs will be present.
Comments: This community has been called a vernal pool, but the dominance of Aristida stricta suggests that standing water is absent or is only of short duration. The composition ties the community to the Wet Sandy Pine Savanna type. It is unclear if it is distinct enough to recognize as a separate subtype. It may simply be the Typic Subtype, depauperate because the occurrence is small and isolated. However, it is possible that ponded water is the reason for its depauperate flora and lack of trees.

NORTHERN WET PINE SAVANNA G2

Synonyms: Wet Pine Flatwoods (Northern Variant); Pinus palustris-(Pinus serotina)/Ilex glabra-Gaylussacia frondosa-(Kalmia carolina) Woodland (3647).


Concept: Type covers wet longleaf pine savannas and flatwoods north of the range of wiregrass.
Distinguishing Features: Northern Wet Pine Savanna is distinguished from all other Pine Savanna types by its occurrence north of the natural range of Aristida stricta.

WET LOAMY PINE SAVANNA G1

Synonyms: Pine Savanna (Wet Ultisol Variant); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Ctenium aromaticum-Muhlenbergia expansa-Rhynchospora latifolia Woodland (3660); Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Sporobolus sp. 1-Aristida stricta-Eryngium integrifolium Woodland (4501).


Concept: Type covers longleaf pine or pond pine savanna on wet loamy to clayey soils, but less wet than those of the Very Wet Loamy Pine Savanna type, typically very high in species richness.

Distinguishing Features:



SANDHILL SEEP equivalents

SANDHILL SEEP (WET SUBTYPE) G3?
Synonyms: Gaylussacia frondosa-Clethra alnifolia-Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta/Aristida stricta-Pteridium aquilinum var. pseudocaudatum Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation (4468).
Concept: Type covers seepage fed herbaceous or shrub-herb wetlands of sandhills terrain. These are generally small areas on slopes, but can occur at slope bases. Subtype covers the less wet examples, which may be seasonally rather than permanently saturated. These may occur alone in small seeps or as an outer zone around the Very Wet Subtype.
Distinguishing Features: Sandhill Seeps are distinguished from Streamhead Pocosins by having a significant persistent component of herbs. The amount of shrub biomass varies with fire history, but the natural state includes abundant herbs. Streamhead Pocosins may have weedy herbs immediately after hot fires but the persistent herb component is limited to a few wetland fern species. Sandhill Seeps are floristically similar to Pine Savannas, but are distinguished by some floristic differences and more readily by their occurrence on sloping seepage-fed sites.

The Wet Subtype is distinguished from the other subtypes by a drier flora that includes abundant Aristida stricta and Pteridium aquilinum and generally lacks Osmunda cinnamomea, Sarracenia flava, Calamovilfa brevipilis, and other more water-loving plants. Typical shrubs are Gaylussacia frondosa, Clethra alnifolia, Ilex glabra, and Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta, with species such as Lyonia lucida, Cyrilla racemiflora, Toxicodendron vernix, and Ilex coriacea absent.



SANDHILL SEEP (VERY WET SUBTYPE) G2?

Synonyms: Clethra alnifolia-Toxicodendron vernix/Aristida stricta-Osmunda cinnamomea-Sarracenia flava Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation (4467).


Concept: Type covers seepage fed herbaceous or shrub-herb wetlands of sandhills terrain. These are generally small areas on slopes, but can occur at slope bases. Subtype covers the typical wetter examples with substantial flora shared with Pine Savannas. These generally occur as an inner zone surrounded by the Wet Subtype.
Distinguishing Features: Sandhill Seeps are distinguished from Streamhead Pocosins by having a significant persistent component of herbs. The amount of shrub biomass varies with fire history, but the natural state includes abundant herbs. Streamhead Pocosins may have weedy herbs immediately after hot fires but the persistent herb component is limited to a few wetland fern species. Sandhill Seeps are floristically similar to Pine Savannas, but are distinguished by some floristic differences and more readily by their occurrence on sloping seepage-fed sites.

The Very Wet Subtype is distinguished from the Wet Subtype by containing more savanna and bog wetland species, particularly Osmunda cinnamomea, Calamovilfa brevipilis, Sarracenia flava, Drosera spp., and Sphagnum. It is distinguished from the Bog Subtype by ....


SANDHILL SEEP (BOG SUBTYPE) (G1)

Synonyms: Coastal Plain Semipermanent Impoundment (Bog Variant); No NVC equivalent yet.


Concept: Subtype covers very wet seepage-fed areas at bases of slopes, with herb-dominated vegetation distinctly wetter than the other subtypes. Plants such as Cladium mariscoides are dominant.
Comments: It is unclear of these communities belong in the Sandhill Seep type. They do not appear to be as prone to, or dependent on, fire. They occur at the bases of slopes, and may be associated with past impoundment.
SANDHILL/POCOSIN ECOTONE

Synonyms: Pinus palustris-Pinus serotina/Ctenium aromaticum-Muhlenbergia expansa-Calamovilfa brevipilis Woodland (3659).


Concept: This is a provisional entity covering the narrow band of herb-rich wetland that occurs between various sandhill communities and Streamhead Pocosins. It is unclear if such a narrow band of vegetation should be recognized as a separate community, and if so, whether it is distinct from a Sandhill Seep or Pine Savanna type.

Coastal Plain depressions and water bodies

DEPRESSIONAL WETLANDS

SMALL DEPRESSION POCOSIN (TYPIC SUBTYPE) G2G3

Synonyms: Pinus serotina/Cyrilla racemiflora-Lyonia lucida-Vaccinium fuscatum Woodland (4434).


Concept: Type covers communities filling small depression wetlands which have dense shrub layers of typical pocosin shrubs or highbush blueberries and have either an open canopy of pocosin species or no canopy. Subtype covers typical pocosin-like examples, with dense shrub layer dominated by combinations of Cyrilla racemiflora, Lyonia lucida, Ilex glabra, Ilex coriacea, Zenobia pulverulenta, with or without a minority of Vaccinium spp., but not Ilex myrtifolia, Ilex cassine, or Litsea aestivalis. A canopy of with Pinus serotina or occasionally Pinus taeda, Acer rubrum, or Gordonia lasianthus is usually present.
Distinguishing Features: The Small Depression Pocosin type is distinguished from other depressional wetlands by the presence of a dense shrub layer that fills all or a substantial part of the basin. It is distinguished from other pocosin communities by occurring in small depressions (less than 20 acres in size and often with shallowly ponded water in wet seasons). It is distinguished from the Small Depression Shrub Border type by filling most of the basin and by the absence of pond species such as Ilex myrtifolia, Ilex cassine, Litsea aestivalis, and various herbs of open ponds. Most characteristic pocosin species are present, including Pinus serotina, Magnolia virginiana, Persea palustris, Cyrilla racemiflora, Lyonia lucida, Ilex coriacea, Ilex glabra, Clethra alnifolia, and Smilax laurifolia. Vaccinium fuscatum and Vaccinium formosum, limited in most pocosins, are often abundant. The Typic Subtype is distinguished from Blueberry Subtype by the dominance of characteristic pocosin species and only a small minority presence of Vaccinium spp.

Swamp trees such as Taxodium ascendens and Nyssa biflora may be present in small numbers.



SMALL DEPRESSION POCOSIN (BLUEBERRY SUBTYPE) G3?

Synonyms: Vaccinium formosum-Vaccinium fuscatum/Spahgnum cuspidatum Shrubland (3907).


Concept: The Blueberry Subtype is a more northerly community dominated by Vaccinium formosum and/or Vaccinium fuscatum. It is unclear if it occurs in North Carolina. This subtype is generally more northerly in affinities than the other subtypes, but is also attributed to South Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The Blueberry Subtype is distinguished by the dominance of Vaccinium fuscatum and Vaccinium formosum over more typical pocosin shrubs.

SMALL DEPRESSION SHRUB BORDER G3?

Synonyms: Cyrilla racemiflora-Lyonia lucida-(Ilex myrtifolia) Shrubland (3844). Small Depression Pond (3rd Approximation).


Concept: Subtype covers relatively narrow shrub thickets on the rims of Small Depression Pond, Small Depression Drawdown Meadow/Savanna, and Vernal Pool Meadow/Savanna communities. It is narrow enough to be strongly subject to edge effects from both sides, and generally contains herb species characteristic of these more open wetlands, as well as often shrub species particular pond edges. Trees may be present but are generally sparse; they have little effect on the shrubs because of open edges.
Distinguishing Features: This type is distinguished from all other types by the combination of shrub dominance and occurrence in a narrow zone on the edge of other open depressional wetlands. Small Depression Pocosins may contain many of the same species, but will fill most or all of the basins they occur in and will not contain an appreciable amount of Ilex myrtifolia, Ilex cassine, Litsea aestivalis, or Cephalanthus occidentalis. The Natural Lake Shoreline type may share some species, generally has a limited shrub layer. It occurs on larger bodies of water where wave action is important.
SMALL DEPRESSION SWAMP (MIXED SUBTYPE) G3 and G3/G4

Synonyms: Taxodium ascendens/(Nyssa biflora)/Leucothoe racemosa-Lyonia lucida-Morella cerifera Depression Forest (7420). Nyssa biflora/Itea virginica-Cephalanthus occidentalis Depression Forest (7434). Nonriverine Swamp Forest (3rd Approximation). Nyssa biflora-Taxodium ascendens/Liquidambar styraciflua/Ilex amelanchier (9.1.1); Nyssa biflora-Taxodium ascendens/Decodon verticillatus/(Smilax laurifolia)/Utricularia purpurea (8.0.3); Taxodium ascendens/Nyssa biflora-Acer rubrum/(Leucothoe racemosa-Vaccinium spp.-Zenobia pulverulenta)/Sphagnum Bog (8.0.6) (Nifong 1998).


Concept: The Small Depression Swamp type covers communities of depressional wetlands in which there is a well-developed tree canopy of Taxodium ascendens or Nyssa biflora but not a dense pocosin shrub layer. They may have a well-developed shrub layer, but it consists of swamp or pond species with few individuals of characteristic pocosin species. They are associated with deeper flooding than Small Depression Pocosins. The Mixed Subtype covers the common examples that do not meet the criteria for the Cypress Dome Subtype; they lack Ilex myrtifolia, and generally have better developed shrub layers. They are generally less deeply flooded than the Cypress Dome Subtype. They may occur throughout the NC Coastal Plain, but are most common in the southern part.
Distinguishing Features: The Small Depression Swamp type is distinguished from other depressional wetlands by the occurrence of a well-developed canopy of Taxodium ascendens or Nyssa biflora in a depressional wetland, without a well-developed herb layer. The shrub layer may range from open to dense. The type is distinguished from other Taxodium- and Nyssa-dominated swamps, such as Nonriverine Swamp Forest, by occurring in relatively deep closed basins, generally Carolina bays or limesinks, and therefore having deep flooding with non-flowing water.
The Mixed Subtype is distinguished from the Pocosin Subtype by the shrub layer being dominated or codominated by species less acid-loving than those characteristic of pocosins, generally Ilex amelanchier, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Leucothoe racemosa, or Itea virginica, with only subordinate amounts of Cyrilla racemiflora, Lyonia lucida, Ilex glabra, Ilex coriacea, and Zenobia pulverulenta. It is distinguished from the Cypress Dome Subtype by lacking Ilex myrtifolia and by having other shrubs present.

SMALL DEPRESSION SWAMP (POCOSIN SUBTYPE) G2

Synonyms: Taxodium ascendens/Cyrilla racemiflora-Zenobia pulverulenta Woodland (3734). Taxodium ascendens/Lyonia lucida/Carex striata-Woodwardia virginica/Sphagnum Bog (8.0.1); Nyssa biflora/Chamaedaphne calyculata/Carex striata/Sphagnum spp. Bog (8.0.2); Taxodium ascendens/Nyssa biflora-Acer rubrum/Zenobia pulverulenta-Lyonia lucida-Cyrilla racemiflora/Woodwardia virginica Bog (8.0.6); Taxodium ascendens/Lyonia lucida-Leucothoe racemosa/(Leucobryum sp.) Bog? (8.0.8)



SMALL DEPRESSION SWAMP (CYPRESS DOME SUBTYPE) G3

Synonyms: Taxodium ascendens/Ilex myrtifolia Depression Forest (7418). Small Depression Pond (3rd Approximation).


Concept: The Cypress Dome Subtype covers examples in deep, steep-sided basins with poorly developed shrub layers. This is a more southern community that reaches its northern range limit in southeasternmost North Carolina. Farther south it occurs in a variety of settings, but in North Carolina it is confined to a few steep-sized limesinks.
Distinguishing Features: The Cypress Dome Subtype is distinguished from the Mixed Subtype and Pocosin Subtype by deeper water and a generally sparse shrub layer dominated by Ilex myrtifolia. Some aquatic plants such as Nymphaea odorata may be present.


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